Ancestor Connections to President Andrew Jackson ( )

Transcription

1 Ancestor Connections to President Andrew Jackson ( ) George Augustine Washington Washington Ancestors Major William B. Lewis Washington Ancestors James Jackson Washington Ancestors John Berrien Lindsley Lindsley Ancestors Martha Patsy Philips Martin Philips Ancestors Judge Felix Grundy Grundy Ancestors Jacob McGavock McGavock Ancestors

2 George A. Washington ( ) Washington Family Papers, Tennessee State Library and Archives. 2

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4 William B. Lewis ( ) Major Lewis had served under Andrew Jackson in the Creek Wars and formed a part of President Jackson s kitchen cabinet which wielded most of the power in the first years of his presidency. 4

5 James Jackson ( , No familiar relation to the president): May 30, 1806, future President Andrew Jackson kills a man who accused him of cheating on a horse race bet and then insulted his wife, Rachel. Contemporaries described Jackson, who had already served in Tennessee's Senate and was practicing law at the time of the duel, as argumentative, physically violent and fond of dueling to solve conflicts. Estimates of the number of duels in which Jackson participated ranged from five to 100. Jackson and Dickinson were rival horse breeders and southern plantation owners with a longstanding hatred of each other. Dickinson accused Jackson of reneging on a horse bet, calling Jackson a coward and an equivocator. Dickinson also called Rachel Jackson a bigamist. (Rachel had married Jackson not knowing her first husband had failed to finalize their divorce.) After the insult to Rachel and a statement published in the National Review in which Dickinson called Jackson a worthless scoundrel and, again, a coward, Jackson challenged Dickinson to a duel. On May 30, 1806, Jackson and Dickinson met at Harrison's Mills on the Red River in Logan, Kentucky. At the first signal from their seconds, Dickinson fired. Jackson received Dickinson's first bullet in the chest next to his heart. Jackson put his hand over the wound to staunch the flow of blood and stayed standing long enough to fire his gun. Dickinson's seconds claimed Jackson's first shot misfired, which would have meant the duel was over, but, in a breach of etiquette, Jackson re-cocked the gun and shot again, this time killing his opponent. Although Jackson recovered, he suffered chronic pain from the wound for the remainder of his life. 5

6 James Jackson: 6

7 James Jackson: 7

8 James Jackson: Alex Haley s Queen. Alex Haley. 1993, p

9 James Jackson: Alex Haley s Queen. Alex Haley. 1993, p

10 James Jackson: *** Once a political adviser to Andrew Jackson, James Jackson and the future president split over personal business and James Jackson became a leader in the Whig Party in Alabama. 10

11 Judge Felix Grundy ( ), Jacob McGavock ( ), Rev. John Berrien Lindsley ( ): Margaret Lindsley Warden, Louise Grundy Lindsley. Seven Women of Nashville. 1974, p

12 Nashville Newspaper, *** Jacob McGavock In 1813 Jacob McGavock served in the Creek War and became an aide to General Andrew Jackson. He was wounded by the Creek Indians in the Battle of Enitachopco Creek (SE Alabama), Jan. 24, 1814; the bullet remained in his body the rest of his life. *** A McGavock granddaughter, Louise Grundy Lindsley, described their social life in her 1936 memoir: They were a gay family, fond of singing and dancing. Jacob McGavock was an expert dancer and so was Andrew Jackson. General and Mrs. Jackson were guests in this dining room on many a Saturday, he to attend court, and she could visit and shop with the ladies. President Andrew Jackson and his wife often stayed in the McGavock home. Jacob McGavock was a pallbearer at President Andrew Jackson's Funeral, June

13 John Berrien Lindsley ( ) and President Andrew Jackson s death: The Death of Andrew Jackson, Nashville Banner, June 8,

14 Philip Lindsley s Diary. Tennessee State Library and Archives. Mrs. John Berrien Lindsley (Sallie McGavock Lindsley) ( ) led the Ladies Hermitage Association in preserving President Andrew Jackson s home. 14

15 Judge Felix Grundy ( ) Elected to Tennessee legislature and supported stateowned bank. He was opposed by Andrew Jackson and the two men were never intimate after this time Ran for Congress in Jackson s home district and received the support of Old Hickory against John Bell, but lost the race Elected to the Senate after a bitter struggle with John H. Eaton who was supported by Jackson Although Judge Felix Grundy and Andrew Jackson were never on intimate terms, Grundy quickly emerged as one of the president's principal defenders in the Senate. His states' rights sympathies and his friendship with John C. Calhoun initially led him to support Calhoun's theory of nullification, but he remained loyal to the president when he learned of Jackson's condemnation of the doctrine. Grundy strongly defended Jackson's "war" against the Bank of the United States, and by 1834 he was widely recognized, with James K. Polk, as a leader of Tennessee's Democratic Party. Grundy's prominence made him a particular target for the rival Whig Party. A Whig majority in the legislature in 1838 attempted to force Grundy's resignation, first by electing Ephraim H. Foster as his successor before the expiration of his term, and then by instructing him to oppose President Martin Van Buren's proposal to create an Independent Treasury System. Although Grundy at first refused to resign, he left the Senate later that year, when Van Buren appointed him to the cabinet as attorney general. ** Engaged in sale and purchase of slaves with Andrew Jackson. ** When Felix Grundy died, James K. Polk, then governor of Tennessee, wrote former President Andrew Jackson at the Hermitage. Jackson responded saying that the state of his health and the coldness of the weather prevented him from attending Grundy s funeral and paying a last tribute of respect to the memory of [my] deceased friend. He asked Polk to make a tender to Mrs. Grundy and all the family of [my] sincere condolence on this melancholy occasion. To another friend, Jackson wrote: our friend Grundy is no more, his death is a serious loss to his country and family. See J. Roderick Heller III, Democracy s Lawyer: Felix Grundy of the Old Southwest

16 Martha Patsy Philips Martin ( ) There were many officers that belonged to the army stationed at Nashville. My father [Joseph Philips] invited them all with their wives out to dine, and well do I remember their happy, jovial manner. Among them was General Jackson, a noble, elegant looking gentleman. He wore a long que [?] and, powdered hair, which was the fashion in those days. They all appeared to enjoy the dinner and drank freely of the old peach brandy which my father always kept. The company returned to Nashville in the evening, apparently quite well pleased with their visit. My eldest sister, Mary, was then a young lady, much admired and quite pretty. General Jackson being an old friend of my husband [Thomas Martin], I feel I must say something in regard to him. As a statesman and a military man, none exceeded him. In 1824 he was nominated for president of the United States but was defeated. In 1828 he was elected and in 1832 he had. an overwhelming majority. Mrs. Jackson lived but a short time after he was first elected, which made a great change in him. He never afterwards had the happy, cheerful look he had before his death. The last time my husband saw him, he stopped at our home on the Gallatin Pike, with some friends, as he was on his way to Washington at the beginning of his second term. He looked sad, and he asked my daughter to play and sing Old Lang Syne. On his arrival at Washington, he sent my husband his likeness, which I have now. After his return from Washington, General Jackson remained. on his farm, his adopted son and his son s wife living with him. I paid him a visit two weeks before his death. Although he was not able to come out of his room, he received me most cordially and inquired for all my family. I sat with him until dinner was announced. Before leaving, I walked in the garden and when I went inside again to take leave of him, he said: Have you been in the garden? I replied that I had and I gave him a rose which I had in my hand. He took the rose, then took my hand saying, Farewell, my dear, and may God bless you. Two weeks after that visit, I attended his funeral. Mr. Edgar preached from Revelations, verse 14. His likeness was only finished a few days before his death, taken by a gentleman that had been sent from France for that purpose. Martha Patsy Philips Martin. The Battle Book Ch. VI 16